3 Best Restorative Yoga Poses – Help For Fatigue Issues

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Best Restorative Yoga Poses – Help For Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Restorative yoga works on a stressed body and mind by helping restore muscle and brain function. Unlike other forms of yoga which might demand too much energy in someone with chronic fatigue syndrome, restorative yoga can make you feel less fatigued if carried out carefully. Slowly work on increasing the time each pose is held.

Practicing restorative yoga is of great benefit to people who are dealing with chronic illness and fatigue issues. The benefits come from not having to ‘work’ and push yourself into weird and wonderful positions to achieve flexibility as no muscular contraction is involved. Rather, stretching is achieved by softening and relaxing into each pose and holding each one for a few minutes until a stretch is achieved.

Many people with chronic fatigue syndrome suffer from tight areas in the body like, the upper back, shoulders, neck, hips and calves. Gentle yoga helps stretch these areas and relieves the symptoms of various body aches and pains.

A study shows that yogic practices reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain as well as improving sleep patterns.

However, faster paced yoga practices can stimulate your body too much during a time when you don’t have enough energy reserve leading to the production of the stress hormone cortisol.

This soothing and gentle yoga practice stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system. Your breathing and heart rate slow down and the excessive release of cortisol is prevented which is important in helping relieve illnesses like adrenal fatigue syndrome.

With the capacity to help mental and physical symptoms related to stress, this type of yoga allows you to relax more deeply than a typical flowing and more physically demanding yoga practice.

It’s so important not to overwork and cause stress to your adrenal glands. Find out more about how  over exercising can affect your adrenals here.

In this article I will show 3 great restorative yoga poses to include in an easy daily practice. However, you may want to join a class if your energy level allows. There are also many good restorative yoga DVD’s available that can assist you in building a practice at home.

If you find the poses difficult to maintain, the use of props like bolsters and blankets can help you relax into each pose comfortably.

Whichever practice method you choose, as with all forms of yoga, it’s important to carry out the poses regularly to benefit most from the poses. Work gently, and slowly increase the time you hold each pose. Concentrate on your breathing once your body is comfortably in each pose, using a count of 4 or 5 for each inhale and exhale.

 

Child’s Pose (Salamba Balasana)

best restorative yoga poses

How to do Child’s Pose

  1. Start by sitting on your knees, then sit back on your heels spreading your knees.
  2. Inhale and lengthen through your spine.
  3. Exhale, whilst bending down and forward as you walk your arms out in front of you.
  4. Bring your torso down and rest your forehead on the mat.
  5. Now bring your arms back and rest them alongside your thighs relaxing your elbows.
  6. Allow your back to broaden and allow any tension in your shoulders and neck to release.
  7. Breathe deeply and slowly.

Benefits of Child’s Pose

  • Quiets the mind and calms the body.
  • Stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system.
  • Gently releases tension in the lower back and shoulders.
  • Normalizes circulation throughout the body.
  • Stretched hips, thighs and ankles.

 

Legs Up The Wall Pose (Viparita Karani )

best restorative yoga poses

How to do Legs Up The Wall Pose

  1. Start by sitting with your left side against the wall.
  2. Turn your body to the left and bring your legs up on to the wall.
  3. The back of the legs and sit bones should be as close as possible to the wall.
  4. You may need to bend your knees slightly to become comfortable.
  5. Your arms should be open with palms facing up.
  6. Soften your shoulders and feel your body supported by the floor.
  7. Breathe softly and slowly.

Benefits of Legs Up The Wall Pose

  • Boosts energy and relieves feelings of fatigue.
  • Relieves lower back pain.
  • Assists lymph fluid to flow into the belly region.
  • Drains tension from the feet and legs.
  • Stretches tight hamstrings.
  • Relieves tension in back and neck.

 

Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)

best restorative yoga poses

How to do Bridge Pose

  1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet shoulder width apart, heels directly below your knees.
  2. Your arms should be extended along the floor with your palms facing down.
  3. Inhale pressing your arms and feet firmly into the floor.
  4. Exhale and lift your hips towards the ceiling.
  5. Make sure to keep your knees and thighs parallel, don’t allow your knees to roll together.
  6. Press into the soles of your feet.
  7. Hold for as long as possible.
  8. Exhale and slowly unroll your spine back on to the floor one vertebra at a time.

Benefits of Bridge Pose

 

  • Relieves tension in the chest and front of the body.
  • Opens the shoulders and chest.
  • Stretches the spine, back of the neck, thighs and hip flexors.
  • Calms brain activity and helps find stillness.
  • Stimulates the thyroid gland.

Putting It All Together

Start a regular restorative yoga practice using the suggested poses here to help relieve stress and fatigue symptoms. Whether you suffer from adrenal fatigue, chronic fatigue syndrome or any other chronic and debilitating illness you will benefit from including these 3 simple yoga poses into a daily practise.

I hope you find this  information helpful, please feel free to leave a comment.

 

 

 

 

 

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comments

  1. Hi there

    This is so good. You are dead right, with our hectic lives its good to even slow down and take time to breathe.

    I love the idea of just having 3. I think if you gave me anymore I might have decided that I couldn’t find the time to do it.

    But before my babies wake up in the morning, this might just be the perfect way for me to stretch and wake up!

    Reply
  2. The child’s pose and the wall pose are really good and actually relieves tension in muscles and in the shoulders in particular. I also like how you guide a person gently into each pose so that the stretches are pain free and effective. I look forward to reading more information here about how beneficial yoga is.

    Reply
    • Hi Janine thanks for your comments. Yes yoga in general is so beneficial for health . It’s particularly useful here as relaxation and helping tight muscles in chronic fatigue suffereres relax.

      Reply

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